The Lowry High School softball team finished second at the NIAA 3A State Softball Championship in Mesquite.
The Lowry High School softball team was back on the same field this past weekend, when it started its season in March in Mesquite at the Virgin Valley tournament.
After enduring over two months of bad weather, postponements and cancelations, the Lady Bucks were back in Mesquite for the NIAA 3A State Championships, looking for their first state title since 2006.
It turned out to be a wild three days for Lowry, who lost the opening game of the tournament, only to come back with three straight wins to set up a winner take all state title game against North Valleys.
The magical run came up short though, as North Valleys won the championship 9-3 on Saturday. Lowry finished the year 27-10.
Virgin Valley 7, Lowry 5
Lowry took on host Virgin Valley and the No. 1 seed from the Southern 3A in the opening round of the tournament on Thursday afternoon.
The Bulldogs came into the game 36-0 and beat the Lady Bucks 5-1 in the first game of the season in March.
Lowry doubled that total in the first inning and led 2-0 off a two-run home run from Savannah Stoker that scored Shelbie Hoyt, who led off the game with a walk.
Virgin Valley scored single runs in the first and second innings to tie the game, when the Lady Bucks went back in front 4-2 in the top of the fifth inning.
The two runs came on a second, two-run home run by Stoker, also scoring Jada Matheny, who singled.
The difference in the game was the bottom of the sixth inning, as Virgin Valley took advantage of a single, four walks and a sacrifice fly to score five runs and go in front 7-4.
The Lady Bucks added a run in the seventh inning on an RBI-single by Natalya Guizar but the rally ended there.
Megan Cook and Stoker each had to hits, with Stoker driving in four runs.
Bree Dunckhorst allowed four runs (three earned) on just three hits in six innings of work. She struck out 10 and walked five.
Lowry,
Boulder City 4
The loss dropped Lowry to the elimination bracket on Friday afternoon and the Lady Bucks found themselves trailing 3-0 going into the third inning.
Lowry came back to plate five runs in the bottom of the third inning, as Cambria Tisue led off with a walk and Hoyt singled with one out to score Tisue.
One batter later, Cook reached base on a bunt to load the bass for Guizar, who singled to center field for two RBIs and tied the game at 3-3.
Two more runs scored off the bat of Bailey Peterson, who reached on a fielder’s choice to score Guizar and on the play a throwing error allowed Cook to score.
Hoyt gave the Lady Bucks an insurance run in the sixth inning with a solo home run. Hoyt led the squad with two hits and Stoker, Guizar, Cook, Maddison McClure and Tisue each had one hit.
Dunckhorst earned the win, allowing four runs (one earned) on four hits. She struck out nine and walked six.
Lowry 3,
Virgin Valley 2
Lowry was back on the field later Friday night to take on Virgin Valley in another elimination game.
Earlier in the day, the Bulldogs lost their first game of the season, losing 2-1 to North Valleys in 10 innings.
Virgin Valley grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning off a home run, but Dunckhorst and the Lowry defense held the Bulldogs scoreless from there.
Lowry cut the deficit in half in the top of the third inning off an RBI-double by Cook that scored Stoker
The Lady Bucks collected base hits in the fourth and fifth innings but could not get anything going until the seventh.
Hoyt opened the frame with a single, followed by a double from Stoker. What followed was a 16-pitch at bat from Cook.
She fouled off the first five pitches. The at bat finally ended with fly ball out.
However, the rally continued and Lowry tied the game on a passed ball as Hoyt scored to tie the game at 2-2.
On the same passed ball, Stoker came around to score and give the Lady Bucks a 3-2 lead after a throwing error by Virgin Valley.
Dunckhorst retired the final three Bulldog batters in order in the seventh, including a game-ending strikeout. Dunckhorst allowed two runs on three hits. She struck out six and walked two.
Hoyt and Stoker each had two hits for Lowry.
Lowry 18, North Valleys 8
The Virgin Valley win put Lowry in the championship game on Saturday, where they had to win twice.
The Lady Bucks got the job done in the first game with a 10-run victory.
The Lady Bucks plated three runs in the first inning off a solo home run by Stoker and a two-Rbi double by Peterson.
North Valleys scored two runs in each of the first three innings to go in front 6-4, when Lowry took the lead for good with three runs in the fourth inning. The Lady Bucks took advantage of two Panther errors.
The Lady Bucks broke the game open with five runs in the fifth inning, including a grand slam from Guizar.
Lowry added six runs in the sixth inning. Guizar had three hits and five RBI for Lowry and Stoker added two hits.
Dunckhorst and Stoker each threw three innings in the circle with Dunckhorst earning the win.
North Valleys 9, Lowry 3
That set up a winner take all game against North Valleys, who scored four runs in the second inning and never trailed. Lowry cut the deficit in half in the third inning off a single by Peterson, a fielder’s choice from Matheny and a single by McClure.
McClure added a solo home run in the fourth inning to make the score 4-3 but Lowry got no closer, as North Valleys scored five runs in the sixth inning to clinch the title.